Public Statements

Issue Position: Jobs and the Economy

Issue Position

Jon Huntsman's comprehensive solutions to create jobs and revive our flailing economy are endorsed by the Wall Street Journal and described as "the most pro-growth proposal ever offered by a US presidential candidate."

Key Priorities:

Tax Reform: Over the last 25 years, our tax system has devolved into a maze of credits, deductions, loopholes and temporary provisions, which create fiscal uncertainty and hinder America's competitiveness. American businesses suffer from the second-highest corporate tax rate in the developed world. High marginal rates also negatively impact small businesses, many of which file as individuals. These rates must be reduced for America to compete in the 21st Century economy. Read more

Regulatory Reform: Governor Huntsman's regulatory reform consists of three objectives: (1) rolling back President Obama's health care overhaul and financial regulation reform, (2) reining in the Environmental Protection Agency's job-killing regulations, and (3) dramatically improving the cost-benefit analysis of future regulations and the discipline of federal regulatory agencies -- particularly independent agencies like the National Labor Relations Board -- which have avoided White House oversight for political reasons, not legal ones. Read more

Energy Independence: 50 years ago, President Eisenhower warned we should import no more than 20 percent of our oil; today we import 60 percent. Every year America sends more than $300 billion overseas for oil -- much of it to unstable and unfriendly regimes. This threatens our national and economic security. 10 of the last 11 recessions were preceded by sharp spikes in the price of oil. Read more

Trade: Free trade supports nearly 18 million American jobs, and establishing new lines of trade with international partners represents an enormous well of untapped economic and political goodwill. 95 percent of the world's customers live outside our borders, and with the United States party to only 17 of the more than 300 trade agreements worldwide, opening markets and expanding a customer base for American businesses is a commonsense tool to spark growth. Read more